


Sensory Overload

by ikuzonos



Series: The Friends We Used to Know [3]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cats, Food, Multi, NDRV3 Spoilers, Unusual Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9645038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikuzonos/pseuds/ikuzonos
Summary: [Major Endgame NDRV3 Spoilers]Group therapy is just as tedious as always. Angie and Hoshi have formally joined the group, with the former clinging to Himiko’s side, while the latter is sitting to Saihara’s right and pointedly not looking at Maki.Saihara attempts to make a friend.





	

Someone has fixed the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Saihara can’t help but sneak glances at it all throughout the meeting, watching the pendulum swing back and forth. It’s mindless, and the ticking is annoying as all hell, but it reminds him that he’s conscious. And, he decides that it's better than the painful silence he was left with before.

Group therapy is just as tedious as always. Angie and Hoshi have formally joined the group, with the former clinging to Himiko’s side, while the latter is sitting to Saihara’s right and pointedly not looking at Maki.

Kaede has requested an extra week to recover in her hospital room before she formally joins the others, and Kaito can’t stay awake for more than a couple hours at a time. It’ll be some time before they come to join the group.

(Secretly, Saihara's glad that the former isn't attending quite yet.)

The psychologist taps her pen on the table, “Now that we have an understanding of each other, I’d like to begin an exercise I call mindfulness. Is anyone here allergic to ingredients found in most commercial candy?”

None of them say anything, and she passes out tiny candies wrapped in cellophane. Saihara looks at his, but doesn’t move his hand from his lap. Surprisingly, Hoshi picks his up, and twirls it between his fingers.

Like Angie, Hoshi seems to be mostly the same as he was in the simulation. Quiet, bitter, and aloof, he doesn’t make any effort to try and talk to the others. Not that he was particularly close to anyone before they woke up. Admittedly, Saihara hasn’t tried talking to him either, but he often wonders what the short boy is thinking.

“I want all of you to unwrap this and put it in your mouth,” the psychologist says, “Take note of every flavour and texture. I want you to focus on the candy, and _only_ on the candy. Close your eyes if you have to. Problems tend to arise when people are distracted during mindfulness, and that's the last thing that I want."

Saihara glances around the table. Angie and Himiko have already unwrapped their candies, while Maki looks as if she’s going to glare a hole in hers. With a resigned sigh, Saihara unwraps his and puts it on his tongue.

Focusing only on the candy is a difficult task, but he takes notes as the different levels of sweetness change in his mouth. Eventually, he’s left with nothing and his eyes flicker open.

Once everyone seems to be done, the psychologist says, “And? How did you feel during this exercise?”

“Angie had trouble thinking about the candy,” the artist says, “Her mind kept wandering to other things.”

Himiko nods, “Same problem here…”

Maki, Hoshi, and Saihara don’t say anything, but it’s clear from the other two’s expressions that they never even intended to think about the candy.

-

Two nights ago, Saihara threw the packets of cigarettes he had into the garbage disposal. Now, his fingers are twitching against the rough sheets, desperate for a smoke. He was trying to ditch the habit before it became a full blown addiction, before the others found him smoking in bathrooms and behind the buildings, like he has already found Maki doing so.

His head pounds, and Saihara slams his eyes shut. Just three more hours until sun up, three more hours until he can bribe one of the interns to get him another pack.

After fifteen minutes of tossing and turning, Saihara kicks off the raggedy quilt, and sits up. Blood rushes right to his head, and an overwhelming sense of dizziness grabs him and chokes him. It takes him another five minutes before he can stand.

Most of the studio is closed off at night, but the cafeteria is open twenty-four seven, something Saihara is grateful for. He collapses at one of the tables, his own footsteps too loud. Part of him wants to cry, and part of him is too damaged to even try.

After trying to calm his raging headache, Saihara gets up from the cold metal table, and trudges into the kitchen. At first, he assumes the sizzling sound inside is his own brain frying away, but as it turns out, Hoshi is standing on a stepstool by the stove.

The faux tennis player turns at the sound of the door hinges squeaking, “Saihara? Can’t sleep either?”

Saihara blinks, surprised that he’s being acknowledged, then says, “Yeah… I need to just eat something real quick, and then I’ll be out of your way.”

Hoshi shrugs, “I’m making enough curry for two. Stay awhile, and maybe I’ll share.”

Neither of them say another word until Hoshi finishes with his curry. He divides it evenly, and then passes a bowl across the counter to Saihara who has been slipping in and out of reality for the past ten minutes.

Saihara’s hands are still too shaky for chopsticks, so he uses a fork to eat. It’s good curry, and he devours it in a matter of minutes. When he’s done, Hoshi is only halfway through his own. Face hot from embarrassment, Saihara quickly takes his bowl to the sink, hoping that Hoshi won’t make too big a deal out of it.

When he returns, Hoshi says, “I figured only Yorick could like my cooking that much. Guess I was wrong… again.”

Saihara raises an eyebrow, “Who’s Yorick?”

Hoshi’s cheek twitches. He points a chopstick at Saihara’s throat and hisses, “I’ll show you. But breathe a word to anyone and I’ll rearrange your dental work.”

Saihara gulps and nods shakily, unsure of what he’s just gotten himself into. He had a habit of screwing things up in the simulation, and it seemed that that was returning here in the real world.

Mystified, Saihara follows Hoshi out of the kitchen and back up to the rooms. Hoshi’s room looks just like his own, only smaller.

“Yorick?” Hoshi says in a voice softer than anything Saihara’s ever heard before, “I’ve brought a guest.”

Something on Hoshi’s bed moves. On second glance, it’s a cat, small and calico. Hoshi walks up to it, and lights scratches it behind the ears.

Saihara blinks, “Where did you get a _cat_ from?”

Hoshi huffs, “The interns are easily bribed. Especially if they’re students. Got one of them to bring her to me from home the other day.”

Saihara says, “She’s… very cute.”

Hoshi cracks a tiny smile, “Isn’t she? She’s an angel.”

Yorick purrs. Saihara doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but he finds himself smiling too, “Can I pet her?”

“Only if you’re gentle,” Hoshi says, “She’s a fragile little thing.”

Saihara replies, “I promise I will be.”

Yorick has very soft fur, it turns out. Saihara almost expresses this out loud, then spots the numerous cat brushes on Hoshi’s floor and decides against it.

Saihara stays in Hoshi’s room until the sun comes up. When he finally does leave, perhaps parting as unlikely friends, he realizes that maybe he doesn’t need a box of cigarettes to get him through the night anymore.

-

The words spread through the studio like wildfire. Only three words, but they provoke a large variety of emotion. Most are joyous, others are angry. Still, others are apathetic, and the rest are terrified.

Saihara’s with Kaito when he hears them. The astronaut clenches his fists angrily, and Saihara feels his heart stop beating.

Just when things were getting better. Just when Saihara was certain that he would recover.

_“Shirogane is awake!”_

He laughs. Then his laughter turns to tears, and he throws up on the floor.


End file.
